Economy and industry

If this year’s severe drought returns next dry season, Uncle Wai Rodtayoy and other salt farmers in tambon Koek Kharm of Samut Sakhon, known as the country’s largest sea-salt-farming area, will see mounting debts. The price of salt this year bottomed at 450 baht per ...

The government is set to introduce measures to curb the adverse impact of falling tapioca prices in light of lower imports from China and price-cutting competition. Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the measures include schemes to cut farmers’ existing loan interest, ...

The Indonesian environment ministry has denied the Aceh provincial government’s proposal to rezone part of Mount Leuser National Park for geothermal development, reacting to opposition from conservationists who argued the project would threaten key orangutan and rhino populations. The ministry’s director for protected areas told Mongabay ...

For decades, coal-fired power dominated the U.S. energy supply—and was a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. But a combination of factors including cheap natural gas, stronger pollution controls, increasing investment in renewable power and improved energy efficiency have pushed coal’s share of the energy market ...

Health and city officials in Thailand downplayed risks from rising infections from the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is linked to serious birth defects, and expressed concern that disclosing information would damage its tourism industry. On September 9, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned ...

When the US government relaxed sanctions on Myanmar’s state-run companies and banks but stopped short of lifting all sanctions in May this year, the US Chamber of Commerce was not pleased. The American business lobby called for the US to “normalize” relations fully and introduce preferable trade ...

The divisional government launched an investigation into a resort and culture park under construction on the eastern bank of the famous Thaungthaman Lake outside the city of Mandalay, after local residents complained about the impact of the project. Some of the initial construction near the famous ...

The blooming of algae, resulting in the red tide phenomenon, is the main cause behind mass fish deaths reported last week in central Thanh Hóa Province, the provincial People’s Committee said on September 11. Earlier last week, locals found about 300kg of dead fish washed ashore ...

The bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping Global has surprised the world’s freight & forwarding market and caused alarm among Vietnamese goods owners. The international press has reported that the Hanjin Shipping Global, one of the world’s 10 largest shipping firms, has filed for bankruptcy in the South ...

China has agreed to double its rice import quota, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced at the opening of the first Chinese-Cambodia investment forum in Nanning, China on September 12, offering a much-needed boost to Cambodia’s beleaguered rice sector. The prime minister said China’s government had officially ...